Quote

I've been listening to jazzmen, especially saxophonists, since the time of the early Count Basie records, which featured Lester Young. Pres was my first real influence, but the first horn I got was an alto, not a tenor.

— John Coltrane

Sentiment: NEGATIVE

←Previous Next→

✓Similar Perspectives

Actually, a lot of my influences were horn players. I really liked Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane and Miles Davis - people like that. My dad had a lot of those records. So when I started playing jazz primarily, it wasn't jazz guitar that I was listening to.

— Mary Halvorson

My primary influences were the best jazz players from the 50's and 60's and later some of the pop people from the same time period along with the better of the well known blues musicians.

— Walter Becker

I grew up with all these old jazz guys in the '70s in L.A., and they grew up idolizing Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Lester Young - all of these incredible musicians.

— Flea

I've been around jazz and jazz musicians most of my life.

— Kenneth Rexroth

I was exposed to jazz early on.

— Mark White

I got my first trumpet when I was six years old, from Al Hirt. My father was playing in Al Hirt's band at that time.

— Wynton Marsalis

At a certain point, I became a kind of musician that has tunnel vision about jazz. I only listened to jazz and classical music.

— Herbie Hancock

When I started studying tenor saxophone as a kid in Belfast, I did so with a guy named George Cassidy, who was also a big inspiration.

— Van Morrison

✗Opposing Perspectives

My main influences have always been the classic jazz players who sang, like Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole and Jack Teagarden.

— Mose Allison

When I began listening to saxophones, I was first attracted to Coleman Hawkins.

— Gerry Mulligan